Back about 1991 I received an invitation to prepare a proposal to design two murals for a large double sided grain elevator in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The planned murals were massive and were to honor the Canadian Forces Snowbirds demonstration team who are renowned for their flying skill. My proposal was to have the Snowbirds flying ‘through’ the tower - in one side in one formation and out the other side showing the distinctive underside of the aircraft. The jets would have been painted life size.
I travelled to Moose Jaw Air base as part of my research for the mural. It was spring at home but still bitterly cold on the prairie. I met the pilots and photographed the planes up close. I also did some plane evacuation training and flying in the simulator for they promised me a flyby in the aircraft when the murals were done.
A few weeks later they were in Comox, B.C. for their final training before beginning their show season. I received a call from the base commander asking if I wanted to get a few more photos. I did and so I jumped in my car and raced up there. It was a warm spring day and I never bothered grabbing a coat.
When I arrived they handed me a harness and asked me to board a buffalo aircraft. When we were at altitude they clipped me onto a tether and lowered the tailgate of the aircraft. I sat on the edge with my feet hanging in the slipstream... and for the next hour the Snowbirds flew past us numerous times in every formation imaginable. Each time they flew by our aircraft rocked from the turbulence of their aircraft. The Snowbirds were close enough that I could see clearly into their cockpits and even see the instruments. I shot hundreds of pictures which turned out fabulous! I also froze by buns off as we were high over the mountains and glaciers.
For the final pass of the Snowbirds we dropped within a hundred feet of the ground and made a slow pass over the runway... as the Snowbirds landed in perfect formation under us. It was an awesome finish to memorable experience!
Sadly the mural project ultimately succumbed to politics and the murals never were painted. The last I heard the original airbrushed drawings I had done were hanging in the Snowbird pilot’s lounge. Even so it was a very cool adventure!
-grampa dan